shadows is a loose collective of Tasmanian based artists who engage in environmental installation as a means of reflecting on and highlighting issues within our natural and cultural environments. The Shadows Environmental Art Installations project at Marion Bay Falls Festival is in its third year, with a number of projects that have evolved over this time being joined by exciting new works by some of Tasmania’s premier artists working in site responsive installation art.
For 2012 we will see the return of some favorite installations from previous years, upgraded, adapted and especially re-installed for your viewing pleasure. These include - the ever-popular Rainbow tree wraps by Jo Anglesey, Martin Cole’s impressive wood sculptures and recycled tent flags, Linda Barkers whimsical bark Dragonflies, earthy natural dyed fabric pole wraps by Ralf Haertel, and an all new solar powered version of Martin and Ralf's Infinity symbol cut into the fern bank.
Exciting new projects for Falls Marion Bay in 2012 -
Pleiades by Launceston based artist Sonia Hindrum
is a reworking of a project she has been working on for the past four years as an international community art project. This artwork features over 2000 cream felt spheres made by the artist and volunteers at workshops undertaken throughout Tasmania, along with contributions from around the world. It pays homage to the prevalence of myths and legends devoted to the constellation Pleiades- which is visible from most parts of the planet.
Sonja is a textile artist and designer who has developed site-specific artworks for major festivals and has designed and made costumes for many years. In addition to other recent major works include Rain Sonnet, for which the text of A Midsummer Night’s Dream was reproduced in glass raindrops as a wearable bodice; and The Talking Skirt, which was developed for an Arts Tasmania residency in 2011, and was also exhibited at the National Regional Arts Australia Conference in Goolwa SA in 2012
www.facebook.com/SonjaHindrumArtist
www.sonjahindrum.com.au/
http://talking-skirt.tumblr.com/ link to AIR11 skirt prototype
http://sevensistersofpleiades.blogspot.com/ Link to Pleiades – Junction Arts
dodda vine sculpture by Vicki 2009water waves earth echoes is a new work created for the festival by nationally acclaimed Tasmanian Aboriginal artist Vicki West.
The work explores use of language and connection to country. The words are Tasmanian Aboriginal language and are constructed using the native dodder vine on a ring-lock fencing base.
Vicki has exhibited extensively throughout Australia, and is represented in a number of major collections including the National Gallery of Australia, National Museum of Australia, Art Gallery of NSW, Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery. In 2012 Vicki was a finalist in the Hobart Art Prize (fibre), and represented Australia at the Pacific Arts Festival in the Solomon Islands.
Sandra Lancaster, now based in Darwin, Northern Territory will exhibit her beautiful Sea Flower Strays
- a series of large scale cast polystyrene flowers which formed part of a floating installation at Bridport during an earlier Ten Days on the Island Festival. Some strayed from the fray turning up in other unexpected places.
The landscape has always had an enormous attraction for Sandra, an influence she channels into her work, integrating the forms of flora with characteristics of local fauna to create intriguing sculptural hybrids. Her creatively stylised adaptations of natural forms have gained her commissions throughout the country and internationally. Her most recent exhibition Tropica Mutata featured sculptural ceramic works that fuse Territory flora and body parts. These were produced during six months as Artist in Residence at Tactile Arts, Fannie Bay, Darwin in 2012.
http://www.territorycraft.org.au/Artist%20in%20Residence/Sandra%20Lancaster.pdf
http://www.territorycraft.org.au/exhibitions/tropica%20mutata%20by%20Sandra%20Lancaster.html
Hobart based Andy Vagg's work Alumination
references the illuminated manuscripts of celtic christianity, as well as the material process to manufacture aluminium cans. The cans tell a story of the way we live and the value we give materials. What were once single use containers are now ascribed value through art; an interaction between artist, audience, and the prescribed and perceived values of the material, as a container, brand, drink, resource for recycling, or simply, rubbish. The value created is new and unique in the context of time, people and place.
Andy Vagg is a visual artist, curator and educator. He completed a Master of Contemporary Arts at the School of Visual & Performing Arts, Launceston, after completion of a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the Tasmanian School of Art, majoring in sculpture. Andy’s art practice, now spanning more than a decade, explores the inherent qualities and limitations of post-consumer materials, with a focus on consumerism, choice, and the unsustainable use of resources. His work is socially engaged, often being created and installed in a community context, with an aspiration to stimulate positive social change. Andy has exhibited extensively in Newcastle, Sydney, Melbourne, Launceston and Hobart.
www.andyvagg.com
www.facebook.com/andyvaggartdesignphilosophy
Daniel Kershaw (of Launceston) presents a suite of works that illustrate the subtle relationships between organic and inorganic shapes. FORM: Violin, Neglect, Claw, and Construct draw on some naturally occurring forms and some man-made forms that are in-turn influenced by natural shapes and figures.
Dan Kershaw is a sculptor who works mostly in wood and steel - he graduated from the University of Tasmania in 2004 (BCA) with a double major in sculpture and painting, and completed an Honours degree in Contemporary Arts in 2005, focusing on sculpture.
Rob Duffield
Boomer Bay Tasmania
Inner Space/d Out
Utilising the beauty of the grey, black and white tones found in x-rays, this work explores the skeleton as metaphor for our inner lives, our emotional and spiritual selves as they impact on our bodies and vice versa. Constructed using the ubiquitous dome shape seen all over the festival site, this space is one in which punters can dream, chill out, space out and contemplate navels and their own inner worlds. At night solar powered fairy lights will create a trippy space to gaze into, looking like a space craft from another dimension.
Rob Duffield is an emerging artist with a passion for contemporary art, particularly interested in conceptual, installation and site-specific environmental art, as well as the art of curatorial concept and design. She initiated and co-curated the first Jackeys Marsh Forest Festival Art Trail in 2008, and her stone text circle remains on site. She has also curated and co-curated the Artfully Queer exhibition since 2007. She works in a variety of mediums and formats, always exploring new ways to express her exploration of life, death, sex and emotions and environmental concerns.
Karen Revie & Kitty Taylor
Launceston, Tasmania
Fallout
FALLOUT is an interactive social media project incorporating digital projection. The project utilises the social media platform Facebook to allow festival goers to directly participate in a FALLS FESTIVAL artistic project using smart phone technology. Users will upload their entries to the FALLOUT Facebook page and selected entries will be used to create a night-time digital projection at various locations around the festival. Fallout gives everyone at the festival the opportunity to be part of the Falls Artistic program.
http://www.facebook.com/FalloutACreativeProjectForFallsFestival2012?ref=stream
By creatively splicing the possibilities of social media and digital projection visual Artists Karen Revie and Kitty Taylor create an experimental mash of audience driven art utilising smart phone technology. Recent projects include Transmission for ‘Speak to Me - Material Girl 2012” touring exhibition and Illuminarti for Burnie Shines 2012.
“Kitty and Karen’s collective practice and engagement with digital and social media has produced works that are engaging and innovative.” Paul Jenkins - Director Tasmanian Regional Arts.
ARTWORKS - redeveloped from previous years
(check out the 2010 / 11 posts for images of these works - more pics soon)
Martin Cole
Hobart, ex Melbourne
Seek, Longing, Seed is a series of large-scale bush wood stack installations which explore deep emotional connections with place, and displacement. These have been developed by the artist over the past three years with the addition this year of solar lighting to highlight the work.
Tent Dreams– these colourful and quirky flags celebrate the spirit of festivals and adventure, and were made by Martin Cole and Karen Austen from recycled discarded tent materials collected in part from the 2010 /2011 Falls Marion Bay camping site - post festival, of course.
3 flags symbols and colours
Martin has been a core participant in the shadows projects since 2005, and has been actively involved in a range of other community and environmental arts actions since moving to Tasmania in the early 1990’s. He held his first painting solo exhibition at Arts Alive in Launceston in 2009.
Ralf Haertel
Launceston TAS
Eathpoles - recycled old woolen blankets sources from op shops around the state were dyed on site by the artist and volunteers during Art Camp. Using native bush dyes collected from the gully behind The Village, and shibori dye processes the blankets have been used to create earthy pole wraps. 2012 will see some new panels created, as well as a vibrant new highlight colour for the tops and bottoms
Infinity – A collaborative installation, by Martin Cole and Ralf Haertel This ancient symbol for infinity and the magician, cut into the ferns, is an invitation to contemplate... exactly that. 2012 will see this installation outlined with solar lighting providing a new dimension to the work.
Ralf Haertel is a Launceston based artist who has been active in establishing / a range of community - based projects and organisations including the Arts Alive artist run initiative, Interweave Arts Association (including Streets Alive Art Trails and Remade Fashion shows ), and the Shadows projects. His current practice incorporates natural dyes, textile based installation and film / projection. Festival based installations have included Junction Festival 2010/11, Forest Festival 2008 /10 /12. Circus Festival 2009/ 11 and Falls Marion Bay 2010 / 11/ 12.
Joanna Anglesey
Launceston
Rainbows
Rainbows is an ephemeral installation, (tree-wrapping), based on the protection of trees, forests, and environmental eco-cultures. The rainbow is a testament of the natural elements, upon which all life depends, and a natural phenomenon that has been used as a symbol of hope since ancient times. The rainbow spectrum is also chosen, here, to represent counter-cultural groups, and festivals that transcend cultures, histories and regimes.
Born in Hobart, Tasmania, Joanna Anglesey has been practicing art in a variety of mediums for more than 30 years. Working as a site specific installation artist she has exhibited extensively locally and interstate. Adept at painting, drawing, textiles, ceramics and sculpture, Joanna designs for theatre, costume, is involved in community arts projects, tutoring and mentoring. Joanna is currently refining her specialist installation practice by undertaking a PHD at the University of Tasmania Academy of Visual and Performing Arts.
Linda Barker
Port Sorrel
Dragons Fly Again - a swarm of oversize dragonflies that buzz over the surface of the water. Created by the artist from locally sourced natural materials, they are also equipped for night flying.
Linda Barker lives on the North West Coast where the local natural and social environment is a constant source of inspiration. Linda’s work is eclectic with a mix of 2d and 3d work, conscience art, landscape abstractions, and whimsical drawings depicting the goings on in her life. Linda particularly enjoys creating ephemeral work with a strong sensory element, reminding us all to take time out and surrender a moment to pleasure.
Cecily Edwards
Hobart
Dance and Shadows
These large scale colourful tree spirit banners celebrate the dance of life.
Since graduating from the Tasmanian school of Art in 1987, Cecily has combined her arts practice with over 30 years volunteer work as a non-violent direct action activist, to produce works that question the dominant paradigm and celebrate our connection to mother natures nurture.
